The 23-year-old will team up with Germany's Nico Hulkenberg, who competed for Swiss-based Sauber this year, in an all-new lineup that leaves Britain's Paul di Resta and Germany's Adrian Sutil seeking new employers.

Sutil is expected to move to Sauber while Di Resta's best bet could be the IndyCar series in America, where his cousin Dario Franchitti has just retired after winning the Indy 500 three times.